Yes, Skewis is a California producer based near Healdsburg, and the rose is a blend of their single-vineyard wines from up and down the North Coast. Their total production is about 950 cases. I believe they sell all of their rose to their wine club members (no waiting list! 20% case discount for everyone on 6+bottles! Plug-plug), and it was $20/bottle.

ernie in Berkeley wrote:Yes, Skewis is a California producer based near Healdsburg, and the rose is a blend of their single-vineyard wines from up and down the North Coast. Their total production is about 950 cases. I believe they sell all of their rose to their wine club members (no waiting list! 20% case discount for everyone on 6+bottles! Plug-plug), and it was $20/bottle.

Thanks for the quick reply Ernie. That sounds a lot like an OR rosé from a winery named J K Carriere. Similarly priced, but more of it is made. Their website says 460 cases. Thankfully some of it does get out of Oregon.

Matilda L wrote:I think the rosés I have enjoyed most have been from pinot noir grown in a cool climate. Drier and crisper than many.

Matilda, my best ever rosé conformed to those specifications; a Sancerre rosé 1996 from Cotat (François?) drunk at between 8 and 10 years of age. It had a distinction, minerality and elegance reminiscent of fine Champagne.

Now, here I have to confess: I have never in my life drunk an aged rosé. Aged rosé champagne/sparkling, but not rosé table wine. Perhaps I need to stock up some of the better stuff and stash it away for some time, see what it's like as it gets older?

Matilda L wrote:Now, here I have to confess: I have never in my life drunk an aged rosé. Aged rosé champagne/sparkling, but not rosé table wine. Perhaps I need to stock up some of the better stuff and stash it away for some time, see what it's like as it gets older?

Personally, I think for 99% of roses it's imperative to drink year of release. The main exceptions I can think of have already been listed:

Sancerre rose from top makers, specifically the Cotat cousins. I also just had a 2009 G. Boulay Sancerre pink I thought could age

The idiosyncatic Tondonia rosado from Lopez de Heredia (usually released at about 10 years, and can hold for a while)

Costières de Nîmes Réserve 2009 - Château de Nages, Grassier - Alc. 13.5% - made from Grenache and Syrah. This was a nice juicy pink with a fuschia colour and enough body and simple structure for pairing a barbecue. Fruit had a sweetly perfumed tinge which I felt needed something crisper than the smooth acidity, which was present, for good balance (Germaine actually complained about the sweetness). Nevertheless I think that we will have no difficulty in finishing the remaining three bottles at a slightly colder temperature than this one in order to boost freshness; 15/20.

Now, here I have to confess: I have never in my life drunk an aged rosé. Aged rosé champagne/sparkling, but not rosé table wine. Perhaps I need to stock up some of the better stuff and stash it away for some time, see what it's like as it gets older?

Matilda, one of my favorite roses on the planet comes from your part of the world and a winery whose other offerings I don't care for: Charles Melton's Rose of Virginia. And it's not only delicious right out of the box, several vintages I've owned have aged in the near term very well. Now I didn't let them go too long, but one misplaced bottle had the stuffing to get more interesting almost five years out.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

Now, here I have to confess: I have never in my life drunk an aged rosé. Aged rosé champagne/sparkling, but not rosé table wine. Perhaps I need to stock up some of the better stuff and stash it away for some time, see what it's like as it gets older?

Matilda, one of my favorite roses on the planet comes from your part of the world and a winery whose other offerings I don't care for: Charles Melton's Rose of Virginia. And it's not only delicious right out of the box, several vintages I've owned have aged in the near term very well. Now I didn't let them go too long, but one misplaced bottle had the stuffing to get more interesting almost five years out.

I completely agree with you, Jenise. The Melton does age nicely. I cannot find it locally anymore, but if I could, I would buy it by the case.. some for now, some for a few years down the line.

2009 Pierre-Marie Chermette (Vissoux) "Les Griottes" Beaujolais Rose'13% alcohol. In a frosted glass bottle (like the one David Bueker had from J.P. Brun). Synthetic cork.Imported by Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA. Purchased at Seaborad Wine Warehouse, Raleigh (also carried by The Wine Merchant, Raleigh.)Sustainable viticulture. Uses natural yeasts and little or no filtration.Light salmon shade. It actually tastes to me as if it had a higher than 13% alcohol content. Tart cranberries with a touch of white pepper or pink peppercorn. Overall, I prefer the Domaine de la Janasse Rose' over this one.

I have opened a Schug Carneros Pinot Noir Rose' and will report on that and a Spanish rose' next week.

I personally am a fan of Steve's Bone Jolly and every couple of years or so I treat mysef to a case of Domaine Tempier. A friend asked if I knew anything about the following two rose wines? 09 Commanderie de Peyrassol cotes de provence08 Chat Pradeaux Bandol I believe these both are from Rosenthal.If anyone has any info it would be aprreciated. I may be in ITB but can't try everything.

I have a bottle of the Peyrassol that will be opened later in the week. I will report back.

Here's last night's wine:

2008 Château de Pibarnon Bandol RoséThis is an excellent Rose, though in a different mold from most others of its type. The fruit is darker, there is more inner-mouth perfume, and it's earthier, rather than being just lightly perfumed. Served along side a spiced lamb with scallions, this was a fine match.

Last night's Chateau St. Martin de la Garrigue "Tradition" continues in the "earthier" trend. Not dark in color, but deeper in flavor and aroma, a little surprising as the label says it's a grenache/cinsault blend. Nice strawberry at the higher end, maybe rhubarb as well. Around $12 at Kermit.

I'm in the middle of getting Ch. De Saint Martin into PA! That's so weird that you put them here...if you have a chance, try their Cru Classe Rouge Grande Reserve 2009, it is SUPERB! Their Roses are so complex and comforting to the tongue. They use Tibouren in their Eternelle Favorite in the swanky cylindrical bottle...amazing! Nothing like I've ever tasted before and Tibouren is a hard grape to deal with.

Jennifer T wrote:I'm in the middle of getting Ch. De Saint Martin into PA! That's so weird that you put them here...if you have a chance, try their Cru Classe Rouge Grande Reserve 2009, it is SUPERB! Their Roses are so complex and comforting to the tongue. They use Tibouren in their Eternelle Favorite in the swanky cylindrical bottle...amazing! Nothing like I've ever tasted before and Tibouren is a hard grape to deal with.

Hi Jennifer.

I take it from the above that you are In The Business and represent the wine in question? All that being so, I wanted to give you a big WLDG welcome to the forum. You do need to make it clear when you post on a wine you represent. Thanks.

James Dietz wrote:I completely agree with you, Jenise. The Melton does age nicely. I cannot find it locally anymore, but if I could, I would buy it by the case.. some for now, some for a few years down the line.

Your post caused me to go looking. I found evidence that John Gorman got the 2008 in last year, but otherwise it has virtually vanished from the U.S. marketplace. What happened?????

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

We had two couples over for dinner last Sunday and our aperitif was these three Spanish wines.

2008 Albero Rose from 100% Bobal. Pale as roses go and the hue of a slightly tarnished penny. Wine-y nose but not distinct or memorable and on the palate, it shows itself to be a real geek treat with squeaky clean dryness, cranberry, green herbs and a bit of lemony acids. More interesting to me than my guests and would have been even more interesting with food. Purchased at Trader Joe's.

2009 Marques de Caceras, Rioja: pinker than the Albero but not really darker. Reminded me instantly of the first rose I ever had which was from a winery up in the Santa Barbara region (Ballard Canyon). I had not yet caught the wine bug so paid no attention to what grapes it was made of, but it was sold at the store closest to the campground we were staying at, and I went back every day for another bottle. It had a woodiness that is not vanilla or the traditional oak flavors so I'm not certain where that flavor comes from, nor have I encountered it in a pink Rioja before, but I love it. On the nose some roses and buttery things: goes down way to easy. 5 out of 6 of us liked this best.

2008 Conde de Valdemar, Rioja: dark reddish pink grenadine juice color. On the nose, a slightly oxidative note crept into my glass and I suspect it of being heat damaged I therefore dismissed it and returned to the other wines, hence this isn't much of a note. To be fair it did get one first place vote, but it's also worth noting that I was the only one there likely to notice it.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov